Stationing troops overseas costs tens of thousands more per person annually

Evidence

Like many things far from home, overseas bases are very expensive. Even when host countries like Japan and Germany cover some of the costs, U.S. taxpayers still pay an average of 10,000 to 40,000 more per year to station a member of the military abroad compared to in the United States. The costs of transportation, the higher cost of living in some host countries, and the expense of providing schools, hospitals, housing, and other support to family members of military personnel abroad all contribute to the extra expense. With more than half a million troops, family members, and civilian employees on bases overseas, the expenses add up quickly. — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 28 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Temporarily putting aside questions about the wisdom, efficacy, and morality of this strategy, its financial costs alone should raise serious doubts. Remember that despite large sums contributed by the Japanese government, U.S. taxpayers are likely paying 150 million to 225 million more per year to keep around fifteen thousand marines in Okinawa compared to basing them in the United States. Basing U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel in Okinawa and elsewhere in Japan is even more expensive for the U.S. government compared to domestic basing. The total additional cost to U.S. taxpayers to maintain 109 base sites and more than fifty thousand troops in Japan could easily top one billion dollars a year. Ironically enough, in addition to those being extorted in Okinawa and Japan, Americans are being extorted too. — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 888 (#exemplifies, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Independent estimates of overseas base costs exceed official figures tenfold; Overseas bases cost more to run than domestic ones despite host-nation support; Stationing a soldier abroad costs each taxpayer 10,000–40,000 more annually — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 28 (+2 more)

Related

• Stationing a soldier abroad costs each taxpayer $10,000–$40,000 more annually (similarity 0.95)
• Keeping U.S. troops in Japan costs taxpayers over a billion dollars extra annually (similarity 0.93)
• Every military service pays substantially more per person stationed overseas (similarity 0.91)
• US overseas bases cost taxpayers at least $71.8 billion annually (similarity 0.90)
• Keeping a service member overseas costs taxpayers tens of thousands more per year (similarity 0.90)
• Independent estimates of overseas base costs exceed official figures tenfold (similarity 0.90)
• Overseas bases cost more to run than domestic ones despite host-nation support (similarity 0.89)
• Japan covers roughly three-quarters of U.S. basing costs annually (similarity 0.89)
• True overseas base costs exceed the official Pentagon total by over threefold (similarity 0.86)
• Official overseas base costs for 2012 totaled 22.7 billion dollars (similarity 0.86)
• Host countries bear steep financial and social costs from U.S. bases (similarity 0.86)
• U.S. bases and troops abroad cost about $170 billion in 2012 (similarity 0.86)
• Overseas basing costs more than domestic basing despite host-nation support (similarity 0.85)
• Overseas bases and troops cost around $136 billion in 2014 (similarity 0.85)
• Official Pentagon figures understate overseas base costs by over fivefold (similarity 0.83)

Broader Connections

• Stationing a soldier abroad costs each taxpayer $10,000–$40,000 more annually #corroborates (0.95) — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 28
• Keeping U.S. troops in Japan costs taxpayers over a billion dollars extra annually #exemplifies (0.80) — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 888
• Official Pentagon spending figures on overseas bases are underestimates. #complicates (0.40)